Over and Over Again
by KonstantineXIII
Summary: Shizuru and Natsuki fit every setting. Let me prove it. T for excessive swearing. Warning: Stereotypical ShizNat fluff ahead. With a dash of drama.
1. The Queen and the Fish

**Hello friends, and welcome. This is my own personal venting station. Since I think Natsuki and Shizuru belong everywhere, my imagination has beaten me black and blue with settings they could be in.**

**These will all be only one shots, in various settings that are completely and 99.9% ripped off from an existing franchise, and will probably be stupidly long. It'll be pretty much every genre ever.**

**Also, they will make sense for the setting, but I refuse to explain why everyone is Japanese. It's not important. It's Shiznat. Enjoy it as it is.**

**So, here we go!**

* * *

><p>"Ara, ara. And what fresh fish do we have here?"<p>

The voice that had haunted her dreams every night for two years entered her head and echoed. It was a lullaby; it was a dreaded, dreaded lullaby. It called to her in the night, in the day, it conjured memories she never thought she'd dwell on again.

She turned.

And was met with those eyes, those red, red eyes. They looked not a single day unchanged, but she knew better. Shizuru was older, her hair was longer, but currently up and out of her face.

But no matter what changes two years had made to the woman, Shizuru Viola was still beautiful. A powerful, enticing sort of beautiful, and Natsuki hated herself for being so aware of it.

"My, my." Shizuru had glided up to the group of new prisoners, huddled together for protection of numbers while in the yard. "So many new faces."

She was surrounded on all sides by women who looked at her admiringly. Immediately to her sides was a tall, black-haired woman who was strong of jaw and had glasses. On her other side was another woman who had teal, unevenly cut hair with stormy grey eyes.

Natsuki vaguely wondered what she was here for. Murder, most likely. All the murderers she knew back home had all had that glint in their eye. The one that this woman had.

Shizuru's advancement had backed the nervous pack of newbies up to the brick building's wall that made up one border of the prison recreation yard. If Natsuki reached her arm out behind her, her finger tips could have brushed it.

Was that room enough to run away?

Run away?

And go where?

She made her way down the line of new prisoners, and made comments to some. When she was three people away from Natsuki, she stilled completely. And turned her head.

There.

Those red, red eyes took in her presence, as if doubting her own mind's ability to translate images from her eyes to her brain. And strangely enough, a slow, slow smile spread across those hauntingly beautiful lips. It didn't touch her eyes.

"Ara, it seems funny to me." Her steps were predatory. "You look just like someone I used to know."

Up close, Natsuki could tell that her face was leaner and just a touch more angular, like she'd gone hungry for quite some time.

Hungry.

That was the word that came to mind when Natsuki looked into those eyes. They burned with a ferocious anger. It was an intense flame that lit those red, red eyes. Anyone would have easily said those eyes burned with hatred, or loathing.

"But that just can't be, not can it?" Shizuru's smile disappeared, and she was standing right in front of the dark-haired woman. "Because I am in here, and that must mean that she is out there."

Her voice had quieted, and then she finally fell silent, taking in the woman who stood, unbending, in front of her. The two women stared at one another, not a whisper of an expression on their faces.

The two women behind Shizuru shot each other concerned looks.

So quietly, only the wind might have heard it, Natsuki spoke.

"Hello, Shizuru."

Suddenly, the orange jumpsuit of the new prisoner was grabbed, and Natsuki was forced backwards against the brick wall, a lioness' snarl in her face. The women around Shizuru immediately jumped to surround the two, blocking them from the eye of the guards and looking as casual as possible.

"What are you doing here?"

Natsuki swallowed. Shizuru had never looked like this before. Not even on that night, not even on the day she said goodbye to her. Never. But this was a rage that had no end.

"Answer me!" The accented voice was a rolling thunder, and Natsuki's throat dried.

"I- Shizuru-"

"Shizuru-sama." The grey-eyed woman had touched the woman on the shoulder. She immediately let go of the shorter woman and straightened.

"What is it?" Shizuru flattened out, her inferno of a gaze never leaving Natsuki's.

"The guards are going to start looking for you, we should go. They know you like to play with the new fish." As she spoke, the teal-haired woman put her hand on Shizuru's elbow familiarly, and Natsuki felt herself bristle.

"Hey, fuck off, Two-Face." She said, feeling a little bit of normalcy return thanks to her temper. "We're talking."

The grey-eyed girl whirled her unevenly cut hair around to stare incredulously at her, and if she weren't hyper-aware of the woman, Natsuki would have missed the small, reluctant smile that escaped Shizuru.

"Don't fuck with me, newbie." The woman said dangerously.

"Then don't touch her." Natsuki replied icily. The grey eyes widened, but Natsuki continued, "Listen, I don't want to start anything, I just want to talk to her. So get off of her, and get lost."

"You have no idea who you're talking to."

"You're right; I don't. And I don't give a shit."

The hand on Shizuru's elbow released. The woman swallowed, and boldly wrapped around the woman, and rested on Shizuru's hip. The woman herself stiffened.

Natsuki grabbed the girl by the collar of her jumpsuit and landed a solid punch to her jaw. The girl recoiled, and was about to come back at her when an elegant hand was held up, stopping her in her tracks.

"Thank you, Tomoe-san, but I don't think that's a good idea."

This woman, Tomoe, glared with pure hate in her eyes at Natsuki and held her jaw.

"Shizuru-sama, you can't seriously think of letting this insolent newbie off the hook? She clearly disrespected you." She glanced grey eyes to the two women next to her. "And everyone knows what happens to people who disrespect you. Right, Chie?"

The tall and handsome woman nodded, her face grinning fiercely.

Natsuki resisted the powerful urge to roll her eyes.

"Thank you, Tomoe-san. As always, I appreciate your efforts. But as you said, let us not raise the guard' suspicion, yes? We're leaving."

Shizuru didn't spare Natsuki a single glance as she turned on her heel and left. The tall woman, Chie, followed immediately and took the larger crows with her. The teal-haired bitch lingered for a moment, drilling those grey eyes into jaded emeralds.

Emeralds that masked the slight hurt at Shizuru's dismissal.

Natsuki distracted herself from the thoughts that chased after the beautiful woman by staring back at Tomoe challengingly. Finally, the woman turned and followed her lady.

"You've got a serious set on you, you know."

Natsuki looked to the voice that called to her. It came from a younger girl with long brown hair tied in braids. The girl was shorter than her, and walked towards her lightly.

"I'm Arika." She said happily. Natsuki felt like recoiling at this strange, happy creature.

"Uh," She started while being stared at by Arika. "I'm uh, Natsuki."

"Hello, Natsuki! And welcome to prison!" Here, she laughed airily, and Natsuki had half a mind to actually ask if the girl was mad. Eventually she settled down, and heard the small girl speak again.

"Come on, let's get you out of here before you try to make anymore of Viola-sama's girls try to kill you."

Natsuki started to follow the happy girl for no reason what so ever. What else did she have to do? Nothing. She was in prison. Arika started blathering on about something or another, and Natsuki ignored her. She was dwelling on the confrontation she had just had.

"Say, it looks like you're with me! Yay!" Arika's cheer broke Natsuki out of her thoughts.

"What?" Natsuki grunted.

"Look, here." The girl pointed at a corkboard with several papers held up by tape instead of pushpin. It was almost like an elementary school's class list, but instead held two names per line to indicate cell numbers, and the two women who would share it.

And sure enough, Arika Yumemiya and the name Natsuki Kruger were scrawled carelessly next to each other. It wasn't intentional, she swears, but the name Shizuru Viola was written down on the same floor as them, with no name beside her own.

"Does Shizuru get her own cell?" She blurted out, never once thinking about filtering herself.

Arika gave her a strange look.

"You know Viola-sama, don't you?"

Natsuki hesitated, and the blue eyes of the small girl didn't miss it.

"I used to know her. At least, I thought I did."

Arika nodded, like that was a good answer, even when they both knew it wasn't.

"Well, I'm guessing you don't know her in here. So, I'll help explain since you're my new roomie!" Her cheerful voice was back again. "But, it'll probably have to be tomorrow, because we gotta get you all set up first!"

Natsuki nodded, and let herself be swept up in the slow, crawling flow that was prison life.

As she was set up, given a few meager supplies, and told where to be and when, she reflected. Natsuki hadn't been behind bars for a long while, the last stint being when she was still eligible for juvie. Sure, she was no stranger to getting arrested, processed, and spending the occasional night in jail. But that was back when she could wake up and know that Shizuru would always come to collect her, bailing her out, and probably taking heads along the way.

She had always scolded the younger girl like a child.

It was the next afternoon at lunch that Natsuki found herself with Arika in line to get food, that the real light on how the place was run was shed.

Arika was currently speaking rapidly about her job in the laundry and how everyone needed to be a little bit more courteous to the laundry folk. Natsuki merely hummed along and nodded her head, eyeing the surprisingly clean and good-looking food on her plate. Her favorite foods in the world ran a long list, and red curry and rice were way up there.

Still though, it could have used some soy sauce. But like hell was she going to complain. This meal was better than she ever expected. After receiving their trays from the inmate workers, Arika led her, still yammering, to a table occupied by people.

Natsuki froze at its occupants. Then, she breathed and sat on Arika's other side, directing in front of Shizuru Viola, who was sitting elegantly with one foot propped on the bench, and holding her knee.

She could feel those red, red eyes on her, and focused on staring at her food. It was as if those eyes were Shizuru's own fingers, tracing every curve and line on her face, memorizing and scrutinizing. She willed herself not to blush. Natsuki could see, out of the corner of her eye, the unwanted presence of Tomoe on the seat next to Shizuru, in front of Arika.

Suddenly, Tomoe stood. Glancing up, Natsuki locked eyes with the rising figure of Shizuru. She rose gracefully, but leaned down, hands flat bracing on the table. Natsuki noticed that strangely enough, she wore a crisp white apron over her jumpsuit. Her hair was held back beautifully by a bandana. It exposed her long neck, and the flexing tendons visible made Natsuki almost shiver.

Still, she watched Shizuru's face descend towards her own, and she swallowed. When the lean had all but enclosed them in their own space, Shizuru spoke.

"You cut your hair," The accented voice whispered out. Her eyes weren't soft, but they were no longer furious. Natsuki simply stared back at her, not knowing what her eyes were showing the woman.

"I did." She graveled out. There was a spark of pride in her heart at her own level tone.

Natsuki had actually had a piece of her bottom-rib length hair sheared off for her in a knife fight. She was forced to cut the rest of her hair to match it. Still, she didn't know how Shizuru had been able to tell after not seeing an inch of her after two years.

With those red, red eyes, and those red, red lips, and those two damn years away from this woman, Natsuki couldn't stop the overwhelming urge to touch her. Just to see if the soap the prison used had soiled that soft skin.

Shizuru's lips fluttered into a ghost of a smile. Natsuki moved her hand a centimeter to let her pinky skim the hand the older woman rested her weight on.

"Don't." Shizuru whispered.

And then she was gone, straightening smoothly and turning to leave.

To leave.

She always leaves.

Natsuki looked down from the retreating backs of Shizuru and her faithful lackey. And smiled gently. There, where Shizuru's hand had been a moment ago, and where Natsuki's pinky almost touched, were two packets of soy sauce.

She hid the smile and tucked away the packets up her sleeve.

"So, you definitely know Viola-sama." Arika was smiling at her largely on her other side, no sort of judgment or prodding question in her eyes like all the other occupants at the table.

Natsuki shrugged it off and asked a question of her own that filtered through her mind.

"Say, Arika?" She started curiously. The girl perked up and looked at her fully, waiting. "Why do you call her that?"

"What?"

"Viola-sama." Natsuki shrugged. "Seems like with a title like that, you'd be part of her little posse."

To her surprise, Arika heaved a great sigh.

"Well, to explain that, I have to explain mostly everything. Now's a good a time as any." She laughed. "But first!" Arika turned to the girls seated with her at the table. "Let's introduce everyone and see if they can help me while we're at it."

She pointed around the table.

"That's Nina, Erstin, Akira, Shiho, Irina, and I believe you've already met Chie."

The handsome woman smirked at Natsuki from down the table, and Natsuki merely nodded to everyone, whether they waved at her or not.

"So, let's start off by just pointing out that since Viola-sama came to this place a couple years ago, it's become a much better facility." Arika spoke like Shizuru had really done a lot, and Natsuki didn't doubt it.

"We get more funding, more time in the yard, better leisure hours, more lenient guards, and the food is so much better!" She exclaimed. "Don't get me started on the food." Arika playfully shivered. "But now that Viola-sama took over the kitchen, everything's amazing!"

"Wait, Shizuru runs the kitchen?"

Arika nodded happily, and Natsuki all of a sudden reassessed her lunch.

"So, you're telling me that Shizuru made this?"

The low voice of the tall woman rang out, Chie, "Shizuru-sama didn't make it herself, but everyone who supports her works in the kitchen. But Shizuru-sama is head of the kitchen, and she makes all the decisions."

"For instance," the cute blonde woman, Erstin chimed in. "She changed the lunch for today this morning, as is her right to do so."

Natsuki started.

"She changed the menu?"

Erstin nodded.

"It was probably due to something wrong with the originally planned meal. She's very careful like that." Erstin sounded like she was a big fan of the caring woman.

Natsuki simply sat and realized something. There was probably nothing wrong with the food. Shizuru changed the menu for _her._ Because she knew Natsuki loved curry and rice.

With soy sauce.

The food in her stomach felt all of a sudden warm, and the packets up her sleeve seemed to feel cool on her arm.

"Right. And like Chie said, most of Viola-sama's supporters and friends work in the kitchen for her." Arika continued. "But most girls wishes they could work the kitchen to be close to her. Everyone benefits from Viola-sama."

She was grinning from ear to ear dreamily, when Natsuki had a question.

"Well, then why don't you work the kitchen?"

Arika's smile melted, and she huffed while Erstin and Chie laughed aloud. Natsuki's brow crinkled.

"I'm 19." The girl said fretfully. Natsuki immediately understood. "So, Viola-sama won't-"

"-Won't let you join her crew?" The older woman smiled lightly.

"Yeah." Arika replied, half wondrously.

"How'd you know that?" Chie asked, voice bordering on hard.

Natsuki laughed.

"Shizuru has always operated under her own rules." She said, shrugging lightly. She knew that in this moment, she was proving that she had a history with the apparent Queen of the prison. Natsuki was basically staking claim as the closest person to the woman. "One of those rules is that she doesn't let anyone under 21 into her world." She paused, then let off a sort of show-off ish bit of information that was actually fuelled by curiosity.

"She also had an identifier for her inner circle of people. On the outside, they tattooed a snake on their left forearm. Are you guys still doing that?"

Chie was casting her a cool sort of searching look, eyes flicking to Natsuki's left arm, trying to see underneath the cuff of her jumpsuit. Next to her, Arika twirled the ends of her hair in a finger and answered.

"No," She cast about unhurriedly. "Viola-sama said that it wasn't a safe tradition to carry out in here. Instead, the people who love her cut their hair when she lets them join up with Viola-sama."

She sighed.

"Nina, Me, Irina and Shiho are still too young." She cast a glance about the table, and jealously eyed Chie and Erstin.

For the second time that meal, Natsuki sat in shocked realization. Her brain flashed back to only moments ago.

"_Don't." Shizuru whispered._

Again, Natsuki tried to tamp down the aggressive spreading of heat that bloomed in her chest. Then, it was replaced by an ice. Did Shizuru not want her around her? She doesn't even want to speak to her.

"Are you going to cut your hair?" The girl, Nina, asked carefully. The entire table paid attention to her.

"_Don't." Shizuru whispered._

"No." Natsuki said. "I'm not." She spooned more curry into her mouth and watched as the younger girls raised their eyebrows, Erstin bit her lip, and Chie narrowed her eyes dangerously at her. Arika only tilted her head.

She shrugged and continued to eat.

"A-anyways," Arika said lightly, moving on. "Something else you should know, is that Viola-sama controls any and all contraband that moves through here. If you want something," She nodded proudly. "She can get it."

Natsuki only smiled slightly. From what she knew of Shizuru, she wasn't surprised in the least about any of her activity here.

"I don't know about that."

Emerald eyes cut to the brown ones looking back at her. Chie had spoken slowly, her hands crossed from where she had stood.

"What's up, Chie?" Arika asked lightly.

The woman shrugged.

"Tomoe put out the word that we're not gonna help this one." She shrugged again. "She's not sure what's going on with her, so we're just being careful." Her brown eyes flicked to Natsuki again.

"Sorry."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Natsuki jumped up from her spot at the table. "What the hell am I supposed to do with that? Where am I gonna get a radio? Things to do? A fucking toothbrush? Posters and shit for my cell? Am I just supposed to stare at my blank fucking walls?"

"Natsuki!" Arika had yanked on her jumpsuit's arm until she paid attention to her.

"What?" She shouted, turning to her. Then, she noticed the tables around her, and how every one of them with short hair had stood up and was glaring at her. "Oh, for Christ's sake." She muttered.

"Natsuki, come on." Arika was yanking her whole body now, pleading for her to leave the cafeteria.

Natsuki never backed down from a fight, a flaw that had led to multiple arrests and more stitches than she could count, but she knew when it was just suicide to go after someone.

"Fine." And she let Arika tug her away from the cafeteria, back towards their cell. With the cell door open during the day, they freely entered and Natsuki flopped on her bed, a forearm covering her eyes.

Arika let her seep in her own silence, and then broke it.

Softly, she said, "You're not going to cut your hair?"

"No." Natsuki replied, sounding tired.

Arika fell silent.

Then, "But what about your-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Arika nodded and let her be. She leant Natsuki a couple of books, which the woman was deeply grateful for. Prison time was slow time, all the time in the world. Without something to occupy that time, one was likely to go mad.

And time passed like that for a while. Natsuki counted every hour that the reigning ruler of the prison ignored her, and eventually the hours turned into days, and the days transformed into weeks.

The raven-haired woman had moved on to hanging out in the library to take up her time, having positively devoured the books Arika owned. She mostly kept to herself, trying to avoid the more deranged devotees of 'Viola-sama', but hung around with the younger girls for the most part.

Four weeks after entering prison, Natsuki returned to her cell one night to find Arika looking at her strangely. By now, she had gotten used to the young, strange girl's strange looks and could immediately tell this was something different.

"What?" Natsuki carefully asked, her dark brow descending.

"Uhm." Arika's blue eyes flicked to the bed across from her own.

There, on Natsuki's bed, was a large brown box. Her eyebrows furrowed even more. Emerald eyes sharpened.

"Where did this come from?"

"I dunno," the girl replied, sounding confused. "I just came back after going to the toilet, and it was there."

Natsuki nodded and set down the books she was holding on her bare nightstand. Unsure as to why she suddenly felt nervous, she approached the box and quickly flipped the lid off.

And almost burst out laughing.

Inside the box was a handheld radio, a Rubik's cube, an old-fashioned GameBoy, several books that she loved, an electric toothbrush, and a handful of rolled up papers that turned out to be some of her favorite metal, punk, and electric bands' posters.

"I guess Shizuru took my request of a 'fucking toothbrush' a little bit too seriously." She laughed out.

Arika's mouth was hung open.

"…Natsuki.." She started cautiously.

"Yeah?" She answered, slightly distracted. Natsuki was trying not to openly weep from joy at seeing a poster for the new line of Ducati Monsters.

"We're friends, right?"

Natsuki looked over at the girl. She was sitting up on her bed, feet on the floor. She was uncharacteristically playing with her hands in a nervous-like fashion.

The raven-haired girl put her newly acquired things down slowly, sank on her bed across from Arika, and focused her attention on her.

"Yeah." She said carefully. "I guess so. We're friends."

And it was true. Arika was the one she went to whenever she wanted to socialize, and she was the one she trusted most. She was her best friend behind these cold, unfeeling bars. Natsuki wasn't sure if Shizuru counted as anything.

The girl clasped her hands together in distress.

"Good. Then I don't feel guilty about needing to ask you what's going on with you and Viola-sama." She rolled her eyes, smiling slightly at Natsuki's look. "I mean, _Shizuru_-sama."

A while ago, Natsuki had finally put her foot down on the reverent title of 'Viola-sama' and insisted Arika call her Shizuru when in her presence. She told her the whole thing gave her the creeps. Arika had been adamant that she keep some form of respect in the title. They compromised with 'Shizuru-sama'.

"Or whatever has gone on." She continued. She glanced nervously at the dark-haired woman. Over the past month, Natsuki had gotten a little famous for her dynamite-timed temper. A buzzer sounded through the prison, and every cell in the complex simultaneously slammed shut electronically and locked.

Natsuki thought for a moment.

"I don't mind telling you," She said after a moment. "But why now?"

Arika swallowed lightly.

"It's Tomoe." Natsuki scowled. "She put a bounty on your head. Anyone who can even hurt you will get a crazy reward. But I'm not sure why Shizuru-sama wants you hurt, especially after seeing this."

She spread a hand out to indicate the box of contraband on Natsuki's bed.

The woman herself had a hardened face as she replied deeply, darkly.

"It's not Shizuru." Natsuki's tensed body relaxed forcibly as she looked out of the cell, and back to Arika. "I know it's not Shizuru. Is there any way Tomoe could have put this out without Shizuru knowing about it?"

Arika thought for a moment.

"It's possible. Most people just assume that whatever Tomoe says comes directly from Shizuru-sama. She's very devoted."

"She's psychotic." Natsuki aired dryly.

Arika laughed. "Maybe." Then, she frowned. "I only ask so I can get a better handle on things. Maybe if I knew, I could calm Tomoe down."

Natsuki shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

Truthfully, Natsuki had never spoken about it. Any of it. Maybe this was a sign she needed to get it off her chest. Maybe it would help her figure some things out as well.

She swiveled her head back to Arika.

"Do you know what Kiyohime is?" Arika frowned lightly. She was in for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. A high school felon. Kiyohime might be a little far from her reach.

"I've heard whispers on the outside." She mused. "I thought it was a drug ring?"

Natsuki nodded.

"It is. But it's so much more." She stared off into the distance as she recited as though reading from a book. "Kiyohime began as a smuggler's ring. Just a bunch of lame, bum guys recruiting pretty girls to get a couple pounds of ecstasy into the country every year or so based out of New York." She shrugged. "Nothing fancy."

"But then came Jiro Viola."

She let her eyebrows drop lightly, ignoring Arika's gasp when she connected the last names.

"Jiro Viola was a business man with a particular liking for ecstasy. He quickly saw the potential business and did what came naturally to him. He expanded and soon had X moving in on a regular basis. He was a charismatic guy, and his influence only grew with him.

"The power came naturally to him, and soon their little circle of druggies turned into a new force in the nation. They were modern-day gangsters. Jiro had people everywhere, and they introduced him to the heroin game. It was heroin that Jiro really shone. It was smaller than X, and easier to smuggle."

She smiled at Arika.

"And it sold for a hell of a lot more."

Natsuki continued on.

"For someone who had everything at his fingertips, women was no exception. And with women came children. An annoying side effect of straight couples." She laughed. "And Jiro had a bunch of them, kids, I mean. He had a shit load of them, and didn't care about any of them."

She sighed.

"Except for one. The only one of his children to inherit his own eyes. Those red," she bit her lip. "..red eyes. Those eyes were the key to his charisma, and he knew with another pair of those eyes he could keep Kiyohime and his wealth for years to come."

Natsuki took a breath.

"Naturally, as I'm sure you've figured out, the one child Jiro cared about was Shizuru. And so that's what she grew up to do. And she did. But when Shizuru took over Jiro's empire, she didn't just continue it." Natsuki laughed. "Hell no. Shizuru took Kiyohime and turned it into the nation's biggest crime syndicate America had ever seen. The pretty girls Jiro had relied upon were turned into something else altogether, and the men turned into pure muscle."

"Shizuru perfected the art of offence and defense, and became a master of the human psyche. The people under Jiro's control and influence rejoiced at her. They loved her for her rules and laws. They were almost like the prestige of criminals. The best of the best."

Natsuki chuckled a little bit darkly.

"That woman could talk you into happily walking off of a cliff," Arika could only keep processing fast enough to laugh at the joke.

"She was 18 when she took over." Arika's jaw dropped.

"And it was at the beginning of all of this that I came in." Natsuki smiled.

"Were you a smuggler?" Arika asked excitedly, caught up in the story like it was some kind of fairy tale.

Natsuki laughed at her.

"No. I was really only an errand girl." She shook her head. "When the smugglers needed a get away driver, I was called. It was a good living, and I didn't have a problem with it."

"Then, one night, a job went bad." She grimaced. "The way Shizuru's operations ran, that didn't happen often. The plans relied heavily on loyalty to each other, and allegiance with reliance to Kiyohime. So, they happened almost this time, someone squealed."

"We were all busted and taken into custody." Natsuki smiled fondly. "But by then, Kiyohime owned most of New York and we all were released under proof of only circumstantial evidence. The whole team got taken back to the official office of Kiyohime, and every last one of were put in hand cuffs and lined up in front of Shizuru."

A small blush formed on her face, and Arika was floored by how adorable it was on the hardened woman.

"That was the first time I had ever seen her." She said softly. "And I remember wondering how someone so beautiful could look so exhausted. Because beautiful people didn't work, especially not in this business." Natsuki swallowed lightly. "She was like an angel."

The woman coughed and seemed to snap out of her memory, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"A-anyways, from then on, that was it for me. And Shizuru." She studied her hands as she spoke. "We met, we fell in love, we moved in together, we were getting married. You know the drill." She paused in her supposedly flippant explanation. Softly, she added, "Life was like a dream."

"And it all ended one night two years ago."

* * *

><p>"I said get me my supply, or I'm going to get Viola!" The tall man was sweating profusely and swearing even more.<p>

"Do you know who I fucking am?" Natsuki roared, infuriated. "Go ahead and get her if you want to end your own worthless fucking life!"

This guy was a low-level distributor. Probably new, as she was missing a snake tattoo on his arm. How he even found their private apartment was an enormous breach in security that Natsuki would deal with later. She had really liked this place, too. It wasn't a penthouse, just a normal apartment for just her and Shizuru. It was intimate and romantic. And she probably would have to move out after this leak. It was two in the morning, and she did not want to deal with this shit.

"NO!" He cried, spittle flying from his mouth. He was probably going through the beginning stages of withdraw. "Do YOU know who _I _am? I'm Hikedi Matsumoki and my _father_, the _Senator_ of California, will fucking _crush_ you!"

Natsuki scoffed. So, he was some pissed off daddy's boy, come to beg for more supply to keep his personal party going. He could fuck off. Useless fucking junkies.

She had waved his ranting off and turned to go to the bedroom to get a phone and call Shizuru's security. The woman herself was away at a meeting and would be home later.

"NO!" Natsuki heard a curious clicking sound. A clicking sound that was incredibly familiar, given her background. She turned slowly to face the sweat-slicked and grinning face of Hideki.

He was holding a pistol in shaking hands, and aiming it directly at Natsuki. She raised her own empty hands in a calm sort of surrender.

_Shit._

"Now," He breathed heavily. "You are going to give me my supply." Natsuki merely nodded her head. He waved the gun around erratically, gesturing to nowhere and everywhere at once. "Lead me to it."

Natsuki nodded and cast about madly. This guy wasn't high, but he wasn't in his right mind either. Reasoning with him would be pointless. She needed to find somewhere to fight. Something to fight with. Natsuki madly tried to remember all the street fighting she'd ever done, preparing for the worst.

When she arrived at a large television screen in a living room, she turned around.

"There." She said lowly. "We keep an extra stash inside the screen for emergencies." Her voice seethed with hatred, and his manic eyes widened in glee. Then, quicker than the blink of an eye, Natsuki grabbed the gun from his hands, took it in her own and shot him. Twice in the chest.

She gasped as Hideki collapsed.

It wasn't supposed to be that easy. There was supposed to be a struggle. Some kind of effort to fight back. Some sign that Natsuki didn't just murder a man in cold blood. She collapsed to the white carpet and watched as blood pooled on the pristine surface.

Shizuru loved the carpet in this apartment.

"Shizuru…" Natsuki whispered.

And if you speak of the devil, then she will appear. The door to the building burst open, and the woman on the floor didn't move an inch, staring at the lifeless body of Hideki Matsumoki on her living room floor.

"Natsuki!" The Queen of the underground cried upon seeing her beloved collapsed on the ground. The people who followed their boss' every move entered the building with guns drawn. She immediately swept to the woman and held her. It was secondary to observe the situation at hand.

"We heard a gun while we were on the landing…" And she trailed off, her eyes searching, calculating, and recognizing everything that currently surrounded her.

Very carefully, her hand slid down Natsuki's arm, to gently grasp her wrist. Her nose inhaled the sweet midnight hair and whispered, "Let it go, my love."

The gun fell to the carpet.

So carefully she might have been made of glass, Shizuru helped the numbed woman stand. She called to one of her most trusted advisors.

"Mai, get her in the shower. Tell her I will be back shortly. And send for, hm." She searched about, her brilliant mind flying a mile a minute. "Get me Reito." She glanced at the dead man on the floor. "Yes, that should be about right."

The orange-haired woman wrapped a tattooed arm around the catatonic woman and nodded seriously.

"And Mai?" Shizuru added gently. "Please be quick about it. I want to get this over with as soon as possible. As soon as you call Reito, call my lawyer. And then the police. In that order. Do you understand?"

Mai nodded tragic blue eyes seriously once more.

"Yes, Shizuru-sama."

"Thank you."

Mai left with the raven-haired woman. Natsuki walked by herself and robotically took her clothes off, and stepped under the stream of water. She felt the presence with her disappear and reached outward to turn the knob to 'C'.

Immediately, the water chilled to glacial temperatures and she shuddered, her eyes sparkling to life. She had just killed a man.

But he held her at gunpoint?

He was still dead.

A knock at the door startled her and reflexively she called out,

"Shizuru?"

The door opened to reveal a sheepish-looking Mai Tokiha, one of Shizuru's advisors and confidantes.

"No, it's just me." She said quietly.

Not caring about her nakedness, Natsuki shut the shower off and stepped out. "Where is she?" Her voice cracked and broke, but it didn't matter. She just needed to see Shizuru.

"Natsuki, calm down." Mai gently keened. "She's taking care of things. She told me that she'll only be a little bit, and that you should shower."

Natsuki tried to calm her breathing. Mai was right. Shizuru was here, and that meant everything would be okay. She tried to focus on that as she stepped back into the shower, still at a bone chilling temperature, and cleansed herself slowly.

The sounds of breaking wood and glass came from the next room. And she forced herself to relax. Mai had even turned the radio on for her and left. By the time she had gotten out, it was 3 in the morning and their bedroom was pitch dark. She fumbled around for the light switch when suddenly the room was split by piercing light and then it disappeared.

Footsteps sounded across the carpeted floor, and Natsuki hugged the towel around her tighter in a tense grip. Then, the smell of honey and roses met her and her muscled relaxed. The towel dropped to the ground as she fell into the arms of her life's only and greatest love.

"Shizuru." She muttered out. The throat she buried her face in hummed deeply, soothingly.

"Ara, ara." The soft voice murmured. "It's alright, my love. Please relax." Kisses rained down on her head and Natsuki felt herself believe that everything was going to be okay.

Shizuru stroked her face into tilting upwards, and in the darkness, those soft, soft lips found her own. Kissing Shizuru was indescribable. It was comfort and home and excitement all in one. It was what kept her heart beating. It made her blood boil, and her bones hum.

And Shizuru never disappointed.

"Natsuki." Her accent was rich and deep and full. "My dearest, darling love." She paused once more to lay another scorching kiss to her lover's lips. "My beloved sweetheart. My most prized girl." The criminal boss lavished her lover with affectionate titles, the names thrumming from her heart to another.

Clever fingers slowed to run over the naked back, and even without the slightest shred of light, she knew what she traced. She could picture it in her mind's keen eye; the enormous, coiling cobra on the woman's slim back. Its scales gleamed over Natsuki's kidneys, wove over her delicate vertebrae. Its sleek head rested on her right shoulder blade, facing outward mouth close, but fangs still glowing.

In turn, the shorter woman slid a hand over Shizuru's stomach, ribs and chest, tracing the beautiful snake that wound it's way over the woman's body. The hand rested on her heart when she felt Shizuru shudder, and the snake practically purred in her skin at the warm and familiar hand resting on its head.

If the women felt the inclination, they could strip naked and lie together on their sinfully expensive and luxurious bed. When Shizuru laid on her back with Natsuki on top of her, cuddled under her right arm, the serpents would be kissing.

"Natsuki." The woman chanted.

"Shizuru?" Natsuki answered, unmoving.

"I need you to understand something, my love."

Natsuki lifted her head to get a better look at her life's partner, but still saw nothing but darkness.

"What is it?"

"I need you to understand that my every action, my every move, thought, word, and decision is for you."

Natsuki frowned. She had been with Shizuru for a long time, and was used to such declarations. But this felt… Different, somehow.

"Yes, Shizuru." She softly replied. "I know that."

"Good." The taller woman said, running a hand over wet hair. "And know that no matter what happens, no matter where we find ourselves," a smile sounded through her voice. "I will always, always love you."

"Shizuru," Natsuki replied smally. "You're scaring me, baby."

"Don't be scared, Natsuki." Another soft kiss. "You will never be in harm's way."

In the far-off distance, a wailing siren was heard.

"Shizuru?" Natsuki asked worriedly.

"Natsuki," Shizuru said urgently, her hands gripping the woman she loved so very much. "What did I just tell you?"

"What?" She asked, distracted by the growing sirens.

"What did I just ask you to remember? Listen to me, please, Natsuki."

She focused slightly.

"That-that your every action is for me. And. Uh, that I'll never be in harm's way." She trailed off, thoughts flying.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru practically shouted. "What else?"

"That you love me!"

The hands slackened, and disappeared. Softly, so she almost couldn't hear it, she heard Shizuru's voice whisper out,

"That's my girl."

And then the light split the room again, blinding Natsuki, and then it was gone. Natsuki stood, stunned in the darkness. She couldn't shake the feeling that she should have kissed her one more time. From just outside the door, that beautifully accented voice could barely be heard, but barely was just enough.

"Now, now Reito-san. Don't be sorry. You've done me a greater service than you could ever imagine."

The man she spoke to was a friend of theirs and long-time enforcer.

"Please, let me ask one more request of you that you may not particularly like."

A muffled response of acknowledgement.

"Ensure that she does not leave that room. And for God's sake, make sure that she says nothing to the police. Ever."

The sound of an enormous kick to the front door, and cracking wood. Then, large, scary voices telling the room to freeze, and get down.

Natsuki flew about the room, turning the light on, grabbing a robe, and wrenching open the door. The carpet at her feet was stained with red. She was caught about the middle by the enormous form of Reito Kanzaki, tears freely flowing down his face.

She caught sight of three men guiding a woman across the room.

Not just any woman, though, _her Shizuru!_ But her Shizuru had bruises on her face and arms, and blood was tracking across the carpet where she stepped, running down her leg.

Her Shizuru was in handcuffs.

Her Shizuru was turning her head, and smiling at her.

Her Shizuru was gone.

Only police officers remained, with crime scene officials crawling around their apartment, boots marking up the pristine carpet that Shizuru loved.

"No." She shook her head. "No. NO. NO!" Natsuki whirled around, panic in her eyes. "Reito!" She screamed.

He simply cried harder, and drug her back through the bedroom doors to whisper to her.

"I'm sorry, Natsuki-sama." He sobbed, but his arms never released her. "I'm sorry! But she made me do it!"

It all clicked together in her head. Shizuru had made Reito beat her. She had asked him to inflict the same amount of damage a man of his size could. She had told Natsuki to shower to make it seem like she was out of the way. She even had Mai play the radio to make it seem like the noise level was too high for her to hear a gunshot.

Shizuru was going to tell the world that she had killed a man, and she didn't. What a brilliant mind that woman had, what exceptional skill that clever brain of hers possessed. Natsuki screamed.

When a police officer came to collect their statements, Reito had covered her mouth and immediately asked for a lawyer. Funnily enough, Shizuru's lawyer was already at the police station.

It wasn't until Natsuki was seated in a courtroom, Reito's sedative pumping through her veins, that she finally realized what it all meant. When she heard that sweet, honeyed voice reply,

"I plead guilty, your Honor."

It wasn't until then that she realized.

Her Shizuru was going away.

Going away. The elegant woman turned as two bailiff's descended upon her, and those red, red eyes made contact with the emerald greens.

"_My every action, my every move, thought, word, and decision is for you."_

"_You will never be in harm's way."_

"_I will always, always love you."_

* * *

><p>"And that's our history. The summary, I guess." Natsuki fiddled with her own hands as she look at anywhere except Arika across from her was sitting, her mouth wide open.<p>

A minute of pure silence.

Another minute.

And another.

Finally,

"Well, that's pretty much what Tomoe was afraid of." Arika laughed. Natsuki stared at her and laughed.

That was the last reaction she had expected.

"Natsuki, why are you here?" Arika asked lightly. "If Shizuru-sama loves you enough to take the fall for you, then you're only throwing her gift back in her face."

Natsuki scowled.

"I never wanted this gift."

Arika raised her hands in surrender and laid off. "So, what do you want with her? Do you want to get back together with Shizuru-sama?"

Natsuki sighed.

"I don't really know. I want-" She clenched a fist and then relaxed it again. "I want so much to be mad at her. I want to be furious. But I just want to hold her. And listen to her voice. And I also want to never speak to her again."

She groaned, flopping back on her bed.

"It's complicated." Her voice floated out.

"Well, it'll be complicated tomorrow, too. So let's get some sleep, yeah?"

Natsuki merely grunted.

She placed the box on the floor, and was about to move back to her bed when something at the bottom of the box caught her eye. Leaning down, she gasped the twinkling piece of metal.

Semi-comfortable in her bunk, she opened her hand to examine the cool lump of metal and plastic. It was a Hot Wheel. A miniature and toy car. A Ferrari F150, brand new. Blood red.

It was the car Natsuki had jokingly asked Shizuru for for Christmas one year while in Miami. On Christmas day, Shizuru had presented a key-sized gift-wrapped box. Natsuki had gasped in half horror, and half astounded excitement and glee. She had torn the paper off the box, and opened it- to find the miniature car.

Shizuru had laughed herself silly before presenting actual keys to her irked lover. Natsuki had relaxed, thrown the keys aside, and tackled her life's greatest love backwards into the colored paper-cover ground.

They had laughed and played like children.

It was one of her fondest memories, and Natsuki clutched the little red car to her heart. She bit her lip and rolled over, a singular tear escaping her and lulling her to sleep.

* * *

><p>At almost an exact two-month anniversary, Shizuru's most faithful follower received what she had asked for. Because like most people discovered sooner or later, if you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself.<p>

It was an ordinary day in the cafeteria. On the outside, it was a weekend, but that meant piss-all to the inmates. Natsuki sat with Nina and Irina, settling in for another meal. Ramen with actual beef slices.

Natsuki loved beef ramen.

The day before, she had received another mysterious box filled with any and all the things she could ever need in a place like this. Shizuru had even managed to get her a hamburger. A still hot hamburger. She was unbelievable.

The day before that, Natsuki had been visited by a man in a suit and tie. He was a prison-appointed liaison. And his message was that her lawyer (Shizuru's lawyer) was about to make a break through on her appeal and inquiry, something that almost never happened.

She had stood up, and left.

Unbelievable.

But the ramen was good, and Natsuki was satisfied about that. That was, until it was quite literally slapped from her hands.

The cup flew sideways and splashed all over the unoccupied seat next to her. Slowly, she looked up to meet those sinister grey eyes. Tomoe stood over her, breathing rather heavily for someone who hadn't done anything yet.

Natsuki said nothing. She simply stood, turned, stepped over the bench, and right-crossed Tomoe into next week. The bitch rightened and came back at her. Natsuki took the punch and used the woman's momentum to force her past herself, and into the table behind her. Natsuki grasped the unevenly cut hair and slammed it into the table.

Tomoe turned and launched herself at Natsuki. The cafeteria had exploded into activity and three poor guards had been left there on the weekend to try to control the entire area.

"Enough!" The voice that ricocheted like a bullet through the room made Natsuki instinctively cease all action. She hated that it had the same effect on Tomoe.

"Enough of this." It whispered, deadly in it's tranquility. The two women turned, bloody and beat, and found Shizuru Viola, crime lord of Kiyohime and undisputed ruler of this prison standing before them.

Natsuki felt oddly slighted that her crimson eyes bore into only the downturned grey ones.

"Tomoe." She whispered. The woman looked up. "I demand to know why this has happened. Why have you attacked this woman for no reason what so ever."

"Shizuru-sama, there's a reason!"

"Please." Those enraged irises burned. "Enlighten me."

"She disrespects you!" The woman cried. "You obviously favor her, even though she refused to join us, and she think nothing of your kindness!"

Shizuru raised a hand and the woman fell silent immediately.

"You assume you know what you are dealing with." Her livid eyes narrowed. "I assure you, you do not." Her head turned to the side, but her eyes never left Tomoe. "Chie, take her back to her cell. Tomoe, you may retire your services to me. I have no need for brutes who mindlessly attack innocent women, and meddle in affairs that are not their own."

Tomoe immediately quieted her protests and freely left with the tall and handsome girl.

Shizuru inhaled deeply and massaged a temple. The crimson eyes flickered to where Natsuki stood, infuriated. She resisted the urge to smirk.

"I can take care of myself!" The emerald-eyed woman cried.

Shizuru didn't reply. Instead, she turned to leave.

_No. Not again. _

"NO!" Natsuki howled out, beyond enraged. This was the sort of mad she knew she felt. She was angry; angry that she was here, angry that Shizuru had left, angry that she never even got a kiss goodbye.

"Don't you dare leave me again, Shizuru Viola!"

The woman paused. She froze in motion, and then whirled around to face the furious woman.

"I don't understand why you won't speak to me." Natsuki breathed heavily. The adrenaline from her fight still pumped through her body, and she knew getting this all out while she still had the drive was her best option. Shizuru was silent.

"I don't understand why you're here in the first place."

She stepped toward the unmoving woman.

"I called, and I wrote, and nothing. NOTHING!" She yelled. "Two fucking years, Shizuru! I've thought about you every minute of every day for two years!"

Natsuki was screaming at Shizuru, but also at herself.

_Do. Not. Cry._

"Every day! And you have thought about me none! Never! I never heard from you. So what do I do? I come to you. Because you told me, you said it and you swore it, that you loved me. That no matter what, you loved me."

Her voice tore.

"But I guess you saw a way out of that one, and you sure as hell took it. What a grand exit you make, Shizuru. Almost as good as your entrances. But now I'm here, so it's all well an good to give me gifts and shit I didn't ask for because I'm all of a sudden in your life again. But let's face it- you're through! You left, and you left pretty thoroughly."

Natsuki laughed bitterly, right in Shizuru's unmoving face. It was a very human thing, she thought to herself. To hurt, and to want to hurt back.

"So here you are, living the life! You've even got your own personal Kiyohime again! You've got the power and control again. You've got everything you ever wanted on the outside, on the inside. Hell," she laughed. "You even went and got yourself Tomoe! Didn't have that on the outside, huh?"

Natsuki was just mocking now.

"Well, that's not exactly true now is it? You had me on the outside. So I guess you really do have everything, don't you Shizuru? You even found a replacement for me!"

_SMACK!_

Natsuki's head whipped to the side. Her cheek burned and stung, and she could taste copper where her teeth had cut her own cheek inside her mouth. She laughed shortly.

Straightening, her emerald eyes admired the look of pure, unadulterated horror in those crimson eyes. A hand was held to those perfect lips. The dismayed eyes flickered from Natsuki's reddened cheek to her own hand, as if it was no longer a part of her self.

Silence reigned.

And then another chuckle. Natsuki laughed through her grimace. Shizuru was stronger than she looked. Apparently that hadn't changed.

"Well, I guess I got you to respond. That's something, right?"

"Natsuki…" Her accented voice was smaller than it's ever been heard.

"Don't worry about it," Natsuki waved her off. Then swayed on her feet. One could only take so many blows to the head.

Shizuru instinctively reached forward, but was beaten by another figure.

Arika immediately fitted herself under Natsuki's arm, steadying her. Natsuki more like sagged over the girl's front and muttered out a 'thanks.' Shizuru's eyes narrowed. The two began a slow walk away from the scene.

The red eyes stared on until they turned the corner.

She then turned, and disappeared the other way, trying to rid the image from her eyes.

If it had been Shizuru to catch the swaying girl, their tattoos would have kissed.

That night, Shizuru Viola, the Angel of Death, Queen of Cocaine, Mistress of Crime and Corruption, average woman, prisoner, heart heavy lover, made it back to her cell just in time to have the timed sliding bolt lock her cell behind her.

She stared at the contents of her bed.

It was much nicer than the bunks in the other cells, and she had paid a sinful amount for the luxury. And tonight, sitting atop it, was Natsuki Kruger.

"Natsuki." She said, surprised.

"Shizuru." The other woman said, straining out a chuckle.

Shizuru couldn't help it; she smiled at the other woman. Ever since she first laid eyes on her, she had never been able to resist smiling at such beauty.

"Natsuki." Shizuru began, knowing that this was the unavoidable talk. Her girl had certainly assured that she couldn't run away. "Why are you here?"

Those emerald eyes rolled.

"To talk to you."

Shizuru shook her head.

"Why are you _here_?" Natsuki frowned at the question. Quietly, she answered with a glance down.

"Because you are."

Shizuru felt her heart start to beat erratically. It double timed when that flush spread across that heartbreakingly beautiful face, and those glass green eyes looked up at her.

The anger and pain was gone; there was only timid hope and overwhelming fear of rejection now.

"Natsuki," Shizuru began, her usually smooth voice breaking in odd places. "Do you really think I re-replaced you?" She felt her eyes well with moisture, but she did not break away from those eyes.

Natsuki swallowed.

"Well, you just." She huffed, frustrated. "You spoke to her so- so privately. So closely." Her voice fell. "So intimately." Her hands fumbled. "It's just like the way you used to speak to me." Her voice was a wire pulled taut.

And then she was in motion. For the second time in her duration here, she felt the collar of her jumpsuit be grasped by Shizuru. But instead of being push into the heated wall, she was pulled into the chest of the woman herself.

Her body rejoiced at the contact, and it brought unintentional tears of pure joy to her eyes to feel those curves pressed against her body. But more importantly, were the lips that covered her own.

And Shizuru's kiss never disappointed.

They kissed, just a brush of soft lips against soft lips. But then instinct took over, and pure, carnal desire won out. Natsuki's hands wound their way through honeyed locks, and Shizuru's clever fingers quickly stripped them both of the ugly jumpsuits.

Their bodies reacquainted with each other like the sky met the stars again. And stars were seen by both.

Hours later, sated and happy, Natsuki's serpent kissing Shizuru's, the older woman spoke.

"My dearest darling, never doubt my love for you. Never again tell me you don't understand. Because if that were to happen again, I don't think I could bear it, my love. I don't think I could."

Shizuru's broken accent caressed Natsuki's bare skin almost as lovingly as the fingers stroking her back. She shivered and stretched her spine. She was wrong; Shizuru had never spoken to Tomoe like this. Never even got close to it.

"I love you, Shizuru." She whispered. "Please don't leave me again." She placed a kiss to Shizuru's collarbone.

The kissed chest heaved a sigh, the great snake on it moving with the action.

"I won't. I promise." A kiss to her hair.

"Why did you?"

Natsuki wiggled up the bed to stare at Shizuru directly.

"Ara, I suppose I had been looking for some time. And the situation presented itself to me."

"Looking for what?" Natsuki asked carefully.

"A way to keep you away from Kiyohime. To get you out of that world. To keep you safe." Shizuru sounded sadder than she ever had. Like she had failed. Like she had personally put Natsuki in harm's way.

"Shizuru," Natsuki tilted the woman's face toward herself. And smiled. "Baka."

"Eh?"

"Kiyohime is _our _world. Yours and mine. I don't want a world without you in it." She flushed lightly as she said this, but she had meant it.

Shizuru smiled.

"Perhaps, my love." She sigh as she stole another kiss and Natsuki resettled her head on her chest, the snakes kissing once more. "But I had hoped we could retire in the next couple of years."

Natsuki hummed tiredly.

"Who would run Kiyohime?" She asked lightly.

"Ara, why Nao, of course."

"Nao?"

"Yes, my love."

"Little Nao?"

Shizuru laughed and kissed the ebony crown again. "She is not so little anymore, you know. She has been keeping things under control while I have been away."

Natsuki grumbled, feeling old. "I suppose."

Silence fell.

"Ne, Shizuru?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Do you think you could maybe get us out of here? It sort of sucks."

Shizuru laughed heartily. Natsuki couldn't help but smile.

"Of course, my Natsuki."

They sealed their night with a long and passionate kiss. Just before she fell asleep, under her head, Natsuki felt Shizuru's chest hum.

"_I will always, always love you."_

Fin.

* * *

><p><strong>Please, please let me know what you readers think! Think of this story, think of this idea, everything!<strong>

**If you couldn't tell, I ripped a bunch of this off from Orange is the New Black. I was next thinking of something like Pirates of the Caribbean.**

**Thank you so much for reading.**

**With Love,**

**Konstantine**


	2. The Artist and the Jealous

**Hello, my dear readers. This chapter will disappoint on two planes; length and story. It is really only a scene that I ripped off from another pairing and put my own twist on. I will never, ever again post something this short. **

**It is merely to tide you over until the next one, which is close to done. **

**Here we go!**

* * *

><p>"Shizuru!"<p>

The peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful chords and melodies weaved by Claude Debussy were shattered by the loud and almost unwelcome shout. Shizuru was currently reclined in a lounger in the foyer of her newest art gallery, relaxing and reading a book while she waited for the maintenance crew and designers to make the collection look their best.

"Shizuru!"

Her name echoed throughout the building once more, and stomping footsteps were heard banging around the other wise relatively quiet atmosphere. There was an urgent rhythm to the feet, and Shizuru knew the other woman's walk well enough to know its cadences and their meanings.

She gave a great sigh and paused the stereo system with the remote. Whatever this was had annoyed her dark-haired lover and it was now her responsibility to fix it.

The red eyes waited for the other woman to find her, and passed the time by re-reading a few lines of the novel. It was really quite good.

"Shizuru." The low, dangerous voice sounded out. "What the hell is that?"

"Natsuki." Shizuru replied calmly, with an almost icy edge. "Your language leaves something to be desired, as always."

It was the night before a showing, and it was a well-known fact that Shizuru liked to be left at peace until the event was well and truly over. Apparently, Natsuki just didn't care this time around.

The emerald eyes burned a furious look into the side of the calm woman's head.

"Shizuru. What in the _fuck_ is that?" Natsuki was borderline shouting. Shizuru turned mildly surprised eyes on her. She closed the book delicately and laid it aside.

"And to what 'that' are you referring to, darling?" The pet name was stated with a hint of warning. It didn't matter what was wrong – they should never swear at each other. Natsuki merely narrowed her eyes.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Ara. I'm afraid you have quite the jump on me."

Natsuki breathed shortly out of her nose. She reached forward and wrapped a hand around the relaxed woman's wrist and yanked.

Hard.

Shizuru was no stranger to rough treatment from Natsuki. Whether from a bored reply that wasn't given enough thought, or from a delightfully deserved yank to her hair while in bed, she knew the force Natsuki could exert. And this particular yank fit none of these criteria.

The steaming woman pulled Shizuru clean off the comfortable couch and she broke into something below a sprint in the direction she came from. Shizuru struggled to catch up, and found herself getting irritated at the treatment. Her nerves were already frayed due to the gallery, and she was reminded of it with every one of her own paintings they passed.

Finally, after many a strange glance from a decorator, Natsuki halted and released the painter's delicate wrist. She planted her feet and pointed aggressively. Her face was fuming, her eyes still livid.

"What. The hell. Is that, Shizuru?"

Shizuru laughed.

"Ara, ara. I see." She sighed and crossed her arms, her head tilted slightly. "It seems someone has made a mistake. That is not even a piece. It is merely a sketch. Someone must have framed and planned it by accident."

"No!"

The woman started at the outburst from Natsuki. Of anything, the woman looked more angry that Shizuru was laughing it off.

"I asked you what. That. Was. Shizuru."

The name was spoken in a deadly serious grit. The red eyes narrowed briefly, head still tilted slightly.

"I believe it is a sketch of Michiru Kaioh, the violinist. She is a good friend of mine."

"I know what it is!"

"Then why indeed did you ask?" Shizuru's tone was shorter. She was tired of this game.

"Because I want to know why you felt required to draw Michiru _in the nude!"_

Natsuki was absolutely seething; teeth grit, hands fisted, face flaming but unflinching.

"Ara. I thought of all people you should know that I work much better with the human form in it's natural state."

This answer only brought a shout back to Natsuki's voice.

"And have you worked with Michiru Kaioh in the natural state?!"

Shizuru scoffed.

"Michiru is a very natural woman, Natsuki."

"Have you seen her naked, Shizuru?!" Natsuki was practically screaming, and the few people still in the area fled.

Shizuru took a small moment to consider her lover's irate state, her arms folded.

"No." She hushed out.

An instant of silence fell. Natsuki caught her breath and relaxed slightly. She breathed through her nose and put her hands on her hips. The blood still pumped through her body, and it felt to her that only real movement would slow it. She rocked on her feet and took a short pace in a tight circle. Her green eyes locked on Shizuru once more.

"Why did you do this?" She asked harshly.

But it seemed like all the composure Natsuki had gained was stolen from Shizuru, as she threw her hands up and blurted out in frustration.

"Because you won't let me sketch you naked!"

"Are you serious?!" Natsuki once again lost her temper.

"Completely!" The artist answered.

Natsuki harshed out a laugh that sounded a bit like a scream.

"Fine!" She laughed darkly. Her hands found her shirt, and she lifted it over her head swiftly. Shizuru watched her sharply.

"Fine. If you're really that close to running off and finding some other woman to paint in the nude, fine." The nimble fingers unbuttoned her jeans and the zipper preceded the quick removal of the garment.

"Go get your pad, easel, sketch book, whatever." She tore at her bra fiercely. "I don't give a shit. But you get this chance, and you _never _show it to _anyone._ Understand?"

When she finished speaking, she was standing completely naked in the middle of Shizuru's art gallery. It would be hours before it was populated with another living soul, and they were both safely hidden from the world. Shizuru's focused and calculating expression melted into an uncaring shrug, and she paused to admire the view.

Natsuki shifted uncomfortably, her sudden temper disappearing. She crossed her arms and rubbed them.

"And hurry up, will you? It's cold in here."

Shizuru smiled largely and started to walk past her to fetch her supplies. As she passed, she swatted Natsuki's rear.

"Don't worry, my love, I'll warm you up after."

At that moment, they both thought the exact same thing;

"_Maybe this won't be so bad, after all."_

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you all for the kindest of kind reviews. I have already taken into accout a request for a setting that has sent my head reeling. <strong>

**R&R!**

**With Love,**

**Konstantine.**


	3. The Navigator and the Captain

**You all are fantastic, and lovely people. **

**Ahoy!**

Arika Yumemiya was scared. She was petrified. If only she had listened to her granny and not boarded this silly boat, to venture to the silly Caribbean. She had craved adventure, and had donned a pair of men's breeches to do so. Her granny had warned her, oh had she ever.

But all her regret and perfect hindsight helped for nothing, because it did little good to make the clashing of steel on steel or the hateful yells and oaths go away. Her apologizes to her granny went silent and unheard by the pirates currently looting the ship.

She whimpered, hands over her head, squatting behind a desk in the captain's study. Then, she heard voices. Female voices. Rough and loud, but female all the same.

"The captain was right!" She whispered to herself, standing slowly and staring in mortal fear at the door in front of her.

Before the man had sent her below deck, he had received word that the ship that was pursuing them had crimson sails. And there was only one ship in the sea that flew sails of that shade of red. Crimson.

The voices got louder.

"We looted that one yet?"

Once voice drawled, almost sounding bored.

"Nay. It's fresh for the taking!"

The second voice was a bit higher, but just as rough. Like the pair were used to smoking and shouting over the roar of the sea all day. Pirates.

_BAM._

_BAM._

_BAM._

_CRACK._

The wooden door was repeatedly pounded against, and then the frame of the wall gave out with a mighty split. Arika shivered. In strode two women, both with swords drawn. One was of an average height with teal colored hair that was extremely oddly cut. The other was much smaller, with brilliantly red locks, cropped close to her face and head.

"Well, well. Look what sort of booty we've recovered." The redhead said with a gleam in her eye. It wasn't the sort of gleam that a trickster had; it was the cold steely glint of a stonehearted predator.

The teal-haired woman laughed and reached out to smack the other in the shoulder.

"Navvy will be right cut up with ya if you do, you know."

The shorter woman 'tsk'd' reluctantly and nodded. Arika felt ice slide down her spine at the thought of what she might have just been subjected to. Sure, she was as unnatural as they come, but it didn't mean she wanted to be with this- this- _pirate_.

"Right." Redhead grunted. "Let's take her to the Cap and see what she says."

"Don't you mean the Nav?"

The redhead threw her head back in laughter.

"Isn't that what I said the first time?"

The teal-haired woman laughed with her. She then turned to Arika and beckoned her forward.

"You seem like a nice little lass, so I'll try to make it simple." The woman moved behind the confused girl. Said confused girl swallowed anxiously, and almost choked on her own saliva at the blisteringly cold touch of a rapier's edge on her throat.

"Do what we say and no harm'll come to ye, got it?"

Arika swallowed again, even though her throat felt like sandpaper. She didn't trust herself to speak, so she forced out a nod.

"No harm from us," The redhead sneered. "We never said nothin' about anyone else."

The woman behind Arika laughed lowly and shoved her forward. She stumbled, but followed the shorter woman out and up to the deck. The sounds of battle had all but died, but the cries and shouting was everywhere.

When she reached the deck, Arika saw the flurry of activity.

Pirates.

Pirates everywhere. They were kicking through doors and shooting open chests that had been brought above deck. And there were a large group standing in front of a line of people on their knees.

"_It's the crew and passengers." _Arika realized.

The trio joined the group, and she was forced to kneel and wait in line. The women didn't bother telling her to keep silent, but it was implied and it was law. Her life now hung in the balance.

She turned her head to the left when large splashes were heard, one after the other. There, two women were standing next to a pile of bodies, and were rolling and throwing them into the open sea far below.

Arika shivered, and felt her insides grow cold.

"Oi, listen up you useless bitches' sons!" It was the redhead, standing before the group of kneeling and nervous crew.

"You all are about to have the distinct honor of witnessing the Crimson Lady's esteemed Captain. And don't ye even think about any of that sniveling, or whining or pleadin fer yer life. Cause you'll only be shot all the sooner. Savvy?"

"That'll be all, Quartermaster." A voice from behind the group said.

"Aye, Captain."

Strode forward a devastating woman. Her hair was long and black as the sea at pure midnight. Her eyes were the green of lagoon water's sunrise; dark and deepest emerald, but set aflame by the heat of the sun. Her face was striking. High cheekbones and a haughty and proud nose.

She wore a long blue coat, heavy with gold buttons and snow-white fur about the high collar, covering a looser white shirt. Her hat was tri-cornered and held a deep red plume. Black breeches tucked into high black boots. Around her thin waist was a wide leather belt holding two pistols, and on one side was a handsomely decorated sword with an enormous red ruby set into the pommel. It was a Captain's garb.

"As you all should have figured out by now, this shithole is being taken by the Crimson Lady, the finest and fastest ship on the open water. As you have done nothing to anger me and mine, you all will die peaceful deaths."

Her voice sounded like gunpowder smelled; smoky, rough, wild, and dangerous. It was a 90 degree contrast to the one that interrupted her.

"Ara, surely they could have their last prayers before they're sent to eternal slumber?"

A woman appeared next to the Captain. She was a hair taller than the Captain, but held a bearing of being taller than even a King on his throne. She was absolutely beautiful in the way that paintings were beautiful; almost surreal, and worthy of hours of devoted attention.

Her eyes were shimmering with play and laughter, and the pools of red were almost comforting as Arika found a familiar emotion in this swirl of disarray and wrongness. This woman with the wholesome hair of silvery wheatgrass differed in all the pirates aboard in that she wore a dress. It was tight in the bodice, but still modest in a sense. The dress flowed down to her feet, but held a huge slit up one side, and you could see that it was rather shabbily rent instead of tailored to be that way.

She also wore a sword loosely around her elegant figure.

"You think this lot would have prayers?" The Captain asked plainly. The new woman laughed.

"You would deny them the opportunity to address their makers?"

The shorter woman shook her head in a disbelieving manner and waved a hand, humoring. The woman laughed delightedly and clapped once, smiling. She turned to the teal haired woman who had lead Arika up to deck, and nodded at her. The woman smirked and went to the far end of the rows of prisoners.

The beautiful woman went to the other end and approached Arika. The girl's hands were clammy and she was trying to regulate her breathing.

"_I'm going to die."_ She thought to herself.

"Ara, and what are the thoughts going through your head now, my girl?"

Arika looked up at the graceful woman and couldn't look away from those engaging crimson irises. And blurted out exactly what she was thinking.

"That I probably should have listened to my granny more, that I wish I had known my mother." She paused briefly before just rushing out, "And I regret not kissing my best friend Saki at the carnival last year, even though she probably thinks it's gross."

"_It's not like it matters what the judgment of this woman is; I'm going to die."_

But to Arika's surprise, the mysterious woman's judgment is exactly what she should have been concerned with. Those full and red lips parted in a smile. An elegant and refined one, but a full, happy smile all the same. She turned her body half away from Arika and made a beckoning motion.

"I'm so glad you've been honest with me." She said lightly, her voice a soft broken accent that skimmed the sound waves like a bird barely flying over the sea. She then turned completely, and moved on to the woman next to Arika.

"Come on, lass." A woman said to her, pulling her out of the line.

Arika complied. How could she not?

"So, do you want to live?"

Arika focused completely on the tall woman in front of her. She had soot-colored hair, and sharp brown eyes. Her mouth almost automatically flickered into a devilish smirk, but one could tell she was trying to remain serious.

"Y-yes."

The woman nodded.

"Then you'll have to join us."

"Join you?"

She crossed her arms and nodded in the affirmative.

"The only way we let folks live from a-plunderin is if'n they join us at sea to become our sisters in arms. The Crimson Lady don't take no one except women, and not just any type of woman, neither."

Strangely, the tall woman winked at Arika and she felt herself almost completely pacified, only for the fear to be replaced with an enormous cloud of confusion.

"And what type of woman is that?"

Arika tried to think about anything special about her, and narrowed it down to the short conversation she had with the beautiful woman a minute ago. She gasped, and the tall woman barked out a laugh.

"You- you're all- Are you?" Arika practically cried out in excitement. Just like that, the woman who stood in front of her was no longer a life threatening pirate, but a sister. Someone who liked what Arika herself liked in secret. Someone who maybe had lied awake at night, wondering if there was something wrong with her. Someone who understood!

"Name's Chie Hallard, little lass." The twinkling brown eyes shone on Arika in delight, and the feeling was mirrored back at her. "And what be your name?"

"Arika!" The girl shouted. "Yumemiya." She finished rather lamely, just now recognizing how she had sounded. Chie didn't seem to mind, as she nodded her head and spoke again.

"I'll explain everything to ya when we're aboard the Crimson Lady. The Captain's about finished here anyways, let's go."

Arika followed Chie to a set of planks spanning from one ship to the next, and as carefully as she could, she ignored the treacherous potential fall down to the waters below, and grasped the hand held out to her on the other side.

Her feet hit the sturdy planks, and she was immediately surprised. Not only were the Crimson Lady's sails a startling red, but also were absolutely beautiful, along with the rest of the ship. The railings were polished and waxed, the deck scrubbed and clean, the ropes were whole and intact with fresh wax making them all the stronger. If she hadn't known any better, and if several rows of barrels of ale weren't right in front of her, Arika would have thought she had just boarded the Queen's Prize, the largest and most decorated ship in the Imperial Navy.

As it were, this ship was even better.

The sun was beginning to fall, and Chie took Arika to below deck to give her proper clothes and a weapon.

"Now, you'll be a grunt first comin aboard." The tall woman said, leaning against one wall of a storage room. The banging and hollering sounds of the pirates transferring goods to the Crimson Lady was ignored.

"Don't worry though, the cut's still good, so you'll be paid handsomely for your efforts. As you can probably tell, the Navvy likes it to look nice around here."

"I thought the Captain told everyone what to do?" Arika interrupted. The soot-haired woman plowed on though.

"But the effort's worth it. Everyone appreciates it in the end."

The brown eyes, which had been lazily wandering the storage compartments, focused back on the girl.

"But I do have to ask you something, Arika Yumemiya."

"Yes?" Her voice was only slightly timid; Chie had been kind to her thus far, and she felt she had no reason to fear her.

"Are you ready to commit to this ship? If one day we stop in port, and you're collared by someone lookin for someone among the crew, are you gonna filtch?"

"I don't understand-"

"I'm talking about loyalty here, girlie." Chie's eyes softened slightly, seeing her intensity was getting a little scary. "Lemme explain something to ya about this ship. Here, you are among friends and family."

Her hand touched the light colored wood behind her softly.

"Every last one of us aboard this here vessel is a right idiot." She laughed. "A right idiot who loves other women. And in most places, that's a hangin offence, as I'm sure you know."

Arika nodded grimly. She was very aware of this.

"But here, not only is it alright to be like this," She flicked a hand towards herself generally. "but it's encouraged, and even expected." Chie's gaze leveled on Arika. "It's normal."

The words made Arika's heart feel light. The Crimson Lady was a safe haven.

"So, we were scattered about, each one of us; our predispositions defining us. Then, some way or another, we were round about saved from our own tendencies' fate by the Captain."

Chie seemed to be on a roll.

"Now there's a right fine woman, right there, the Captain." She grinned at Arika's raised eyebrows. "Oh aye, the Captain's a marvel, that one. She's a righteous woman, and strong and hard as steel. We don't know much about where she comes from or what motivates her, but we all do know one unchanging fact."

In full story telling tune, Chie paused to hear Arika ask wondrously, "What?"

"We know that the Captain cares and loves one thing, and one thing only. And I'll tell you right now, that woman is drowning in riches of the fanciest kind; rubies, emeralds, gold, diamonds, platinum, you name it. And she doesn't give one whit for the lot of it. She really only goes to plunderin ships because the crew likes it, and we get extra pay for it. We also know that she's very interested in some stone or another. But,"

She sighed lightly.

"Nay, there's only one thing that sings to the Captain's heart."

"And?" Arika couldn't quite contain her query. "What is it?"

"Well, lass, it's nothing else besides-"

"You're called up on deck, Chie."

The door had opened suddenly, and a girl with dark blue hair and amber eyes appeared. She was absolutely stunning with sharp, striking features, and a coolness to her voice that slipped down Arika's back bone with a thrilling chill.

"Damn." Chie replied. She looked at Arika. "Looks like you'll have to hear that particular tale another time." To the girl who had appeared, she spoke. "I'll leave her to you then, Nina."

The other girl started, as if just now noticing that there was another soul in the room. She startled and stared at Arika with a sort of shocked look on her face, but quickly composed herself.

Chie only laughed and shook her head.

"Nina, this is Arika Yumemiya, we rescued her from that ship we just boarded. Show her around, will ya?"

Nina nodded her head slowly and seriously, conveying to Chie that she would ensure that even this small duty would be taken care of to her best abilities. Chie looked like she was trying very hard not to grin. She succeeded and left the room, long strides carrying her away quickly.

"Uhm, pl-please follow me." Nina spoke softly and quietly, and Arika smiled largely at her.

They made their way back through the small maze of below deck and Arika was introduced to the setting sun, somehow even more beautiful than she'd ever seen it.

"_For a sunset, it sure does feel like a sunrise."_ She thought while taking in the activity on the new ship she was about to call home.

"Please stand here." The soft voice called out to her again, and she stood where indicated, out of the way of the hustle and bustle. She spotted Chie calling to someone above her in the mast while tying off a rope.

"So, what exactly is going on?" She asked the quiet girl next to her. The amber eyes met her own for a moment.

Nina cleared her throat lightly and looked away, seemingly relieved of something.

"Well, we're about to set to sail. So, Chie's in charge of the rigging and such, you know." The eyes cast about for more, and she started to point people out.

"Up in the crow's nest is Haruka Armitage. She's got a good eye on her, and can out holler a bugle." Nina said the last part a bit deadpan, a joke in her tone. Arika laughed, and the tiniest flicker of a smile skimmed the corner of Nina's mouth.

"See, there on the starboard row?" Arika nodded along. It was the short redhead who had found her. "That'll be Nao, the Quartermaster. She's the Captain's left hand, and takes care of anything the Cap needs."

Arika nodded, smiling. Nina seemed to relax slightly.

"Though between you and I, it's less of a duty to her. See, the Captain saved her from certain marriage, and the Quarter thanks her every day."

Arika laughed heartily, and Nina actually did smile faintly. The girl definitely took notice of how handsome the expression was on Nina.

"I believe it was Nao and Tomoe who found ya, didn't they?" Arika frowned in thought.

"It was the Quartermaster, as you say, and then a teal-haired woman with grey eyes. Is that Tomoe?" Arika asked hesitantly. Nina nodded lightly, a kind look in her eyes. She pointed to a different spot on deck.

"That's Tomoe. She's a rigger, too. But she also counts as the second helmsman."

"The second helmsman?" Arika asked. She'd never heard of such a thing.

Nina nodded, the same light expression in her eyes.

"Aye. It's a sort of made up position, I suppose. But seein as it's unfitting for the Captain to do the work she does, we all insisted."

"What's wrong with the Captain?" Arika asked, bordering on alarmed.

"Oh, nothing's wrong with the Captain," Nina said gently. She looked slightly apologetic. "It's only that she insists on helming the Crimson Lady herself, instead of having someone else to do it."

Nina pointed to the raised end of the ship. The enormous wheel and a large table were the only solid pieces on the end, and Arika saw several women. The first being the Captain herself, ready at the helm, and observing the orderly hustle around her with her hands behind her back.

"Behold there, Arika." There was a tone of unrepressed awe in the soft voice. "There be the greatest Captain to ever sail," Nina said, nothing short of respect in her words. "Natsuki Kruger, Captain of the pirate ship the Crimson Lady, scourge of the Caribbean."

The two girls continued to admire the Captain in all of her mysteriously beautiful glory. Then, a figure at the table behind the Captain caught Arika's attention.

"Nina," she began. The girl called to attention went a curious rose around her ears, but otherwise remained unchanged. "Who is that, there? Just behind the Captain? In the dress?"

Even as they watched, the elegant figure glided to the Captain's elbow, and began to speak to her in a closed manner.

"There?" Nina looked at her quickly to notice her nod, then returned her gaze to the pair of women.

"That's the Navigator, Shizuru Viola. There was never a more brilliant woman to guide a ship, either. She's gotten us out of many a jam before, and led us to the most gloriously loaded boats and islands to ever be laid eyes upon. They make a fierce team, they do, the Captain and the Navigator."

The slim hand of Shizuru Viola reached out and placed a thin lock of midnight hair backwards.

"And again, between the two of us, if you want to know, the Captain's sweet on the Navvy."

Arika furrowed her eyebrows and looked back at Nina.

"Chie told me that the Captain only cares about one thing." She turned back to look at the pair quickly. "Is that it? The Navigator?"

Nina let a tiny laugh. "I see Chie's already let the cat out of the bag, eh?"

Arika smiled. "Is that it? Do the Navigator and the Captain love each other?" She was excited.

Nina smiled back at her.

"Like the wind loves the sea."

Arika laughed joyously. Turning, she observed what should have been obvious to her the first time she saw the pair. The way the Captain's face was soft as fresh baked bread, and the curling smile that adorned the Navigator's face, admiring and affectionate in every line.

"They're beautiful." She said in awe.

"Aye," Nina replied lightly. "The Navvy's the other reason Cap likes to helm the ship herself." She chuckled at Arika's questioning face. "Tomoe is sweet on Shizuru in the real way, ya see."

Arika laughed.

"Really?"

"Aye," Nina grinned. "It's only through the good grace of the Navigator that she's still breathin. The Captain doesn't want her workin any closer to Shizuru than is proper, in her mind."

She shrugged.

"Don't know why it's so tough for Natsuki to let Tomoe helm though, its the Captain's bed that Shizuru goes to every night."

"Really?" Arika asked, almost scandalized that Nina had said such a thing.

The girl herself colored around the ears a bit.

"Well, yeah. If the Captain were a man, they'd be well and truly married by now, so. Why not?"

Arika nodded her head, smiling brilliantly. Sharing quarters with another woman was normal here.

"_Oh this is a blessed place indeed._"

It had been about a fortnight since Arika boarded the Crimson Lady, and she knew that she belonged nowhere else in the world. Every last woman on the ship was a friend, even in argument.

The arguments were few and far between, most were about money, and the ones that weren't were in jest. Sometimes, an argument and following fisticuffs were forged purely out of boredom for sport.

It had been a fortnight, and Arika knew that being with these women was what she was meant to do. Still, she wouldn't have complained about being re-assigned duties. Cleaning the ship was all well and good because Chie hadn't lied; she was paid quite handsomely for it. Still, it was not very glamorous. But her handyman companion made it worth it. Nina was the best person Arika had ever met.

The day was coming to sunset, but the Crimson Lady was too awake to notice. Oil lamps were being lit and a mood of joviality burned even brighter. The crew had just scored a fabulously wealthy ship smuggling sterling silver, jewels, and all kinds of fine folk tableware and decoration.

Thanks to the Navigator's instruction, of course. In the morning, they were bound for a port Arika had never heard of and were going to sell their wares for profit. For now, they were celebrating.

Arika had never had ale before, and she determined that she really liked it. It made her heart and stomach warm, and gave her the courage to stand up to pull Nina toward the women playing out a jaunty tune and start dancing. Nina had gone wide-eyed, and she only laughed at her.

"Oh, this is a merry night!"

For the first time, Arika had partaken in the plundering. She played a role so minor it almost didn't count; but one shining example of Chie and Nina's swordplay lessons had saved a life.

The Captain's life, to be exact.

Well, maybe not her life. But it was a damn good thing she caught it anyways. Arika had really only been there to add one more body to their force. She stayed on deck of the intruded-upon ship and held her sword in front, ready, yet not ready, to defend herself. Everything had gone smoothly, and soon there were a couple dozen men and women with their hands tied behind their backs, kneeling above deck. Waiting for the Captain to sentence them to an honorable death.

Arika had been one of the girls to hold the captives at sword-point to make sure they didn't cause too much of a disruption to the rest of the Crimson Lady's women. It happened when the Captain had her back turned, sorting something out with the Quartermaster, when suddenly a man had stood up quickly, free of his bonds. He stood, knife in hand, and with a great yell barreled toward the turned-around Captain.

A cry of "Natsuki!" seared everyone on the ship about the ears, but the enormous 'clang' of steel on steel echoed longer. Arika had jumped in front of the Captain and swung her sword upward, hoping beyond hope that the man was aiming for the neck or chest.

And now here she was, a conquering hero. Nao had quickly shot the man and personally dumped him overboard. After that, the goings ons kept going on, and now it was time to raise a glass.

Nina shouted in surprise but quickly relaxed into the jumping music, mirth tearing from every note. Arika threw her head back and laughed at Chie trying to take her own shirt off when Aoi, a very pretty and brunette rigger, slapped her hands down.

They danced and whirled around until Nina tapped her on the hand and they went and found places to rest on deck. The dark haired girl smiled at her and told her she'd be back with more drink. Arika nodded happily, clapping along to the chanting rhythm of the next shanty.

"Ara, are you enjoying yourself, my dear?"

Arika looked next to her to find that the Navigator had snuck up beside her and was watching her with mesmerizing crimson eyes. The lamplight reflected off of them and made the eyes sparkle with a siren's calling.

She quickly shut her mouth and nodded in glee.

"I'm so very glad!" Shizuru clapped. Arika only continued to smile. "I wanted to thank you." The Navvy said.

"For what?" The girl tilted her head.

The peaceful and merry smile hitched downward for a tick of the timepiece.

"For saving my Natsuki on that ship." The woman sighed and clasped her hands together, frowning lightly. "Never before has she been that careless."

Arika only chuckled good-naturedly.

"If I hadn't had been there to stop him, Nao would have." She chirped. "Did you see the draw the Quartermaster has? Incredible! Quicker than a wink!"

Shizuru laughed openly. Her eyes looked slightly grateful.

"I'm sure." She hummed gently. "Still, I am in your debt." Those crimson irises were very soft, the way that a flame looked soft almost. The woman's beautiful face leaned forwards and gently kissed Arika on the cheek. The girl practically went rigid in shocked delight. Even before Shizuru's full lips pulled away, her mouth had formed into an awed grin.

The Navvy backed away by a hair's breadth and chuckled lowly, one slender eyebrow climbing.

"Anything you want, my dear, anything at all." She winked at the stunned young lass. "Tell me, and it's yours."

A large clearing of the throat startled them both out of their own small world, and Arika looked past Shizuru and went pale.

The Captain herself was standing rigidly, hands behind her back, a blankish agitation clear on her beautiful visage. Her gleaming emerald eyes held no harm toward the girl, only clear irritation toward the tendencies of her Navigator.

"A-actually," Arika blurted out before she could consider the consequences. Shizuru had half turned, but faced her completely again, a curious expression on her face. "There is one. Er, one thing."

The woman smiled, and waved a hand forward by her side.

"I was wondering," the girl kept on, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with those vivid red eyes gleaming at her. "Do you have spare dresses aboard, ma'am?"

Natsuki appeared at Shizuru's elbow just as a real, full-mouthed smile took over the woman's face. The Captain cocked an eyebrow but didn't interrupt. She held an arm out.

Shizuru took the offered arm gently without even looking.

"Ara, ara." She giggled. "I think I may have just the thing for you, my dear." The woman winked, and Arika went into a full-faced blush. Shizuru laughed once more while Natsuki actually frowned.

"Tomorrow, dear." The elegant woman turned with a swirl of her dress's skirt and threw over her shoulder, "Come to my quarters tomorrow morn, if you feel up to it."

Arika only nodded lightly as she watched the strict and precise movements of the Captain contrast beautifully with the almost imperceptible bounce of the Navigator. The pair joined the circle of jovial dancers and started immediately to sing and laugh along.

She breathed out a sigh. That had been oddly nerve-wracking, especially with the presence of a slightly jealous Captain. Arika turned back to the other side, and spied a very curious expression.

Nina was stood before her, two mugs of ale in her hands, and staring directly at the deck of the ship. Arika tilted her head.

"Nina?"

The girl's dark hair swayed as she glanced up. The expression on her face was a sheepish sort of hurt and Arika furrowed her brow. What would cause that face?

"Nina, what's wrong?"

The girl stammered and shut her mouth before handing over a mug without a word. Arika took it worriedly. Nina traced the rim of her own mug and spoke below a hum.

"I didn't know you had eyes for Shizuru."

It was almost a whisper.

And Arika almost burst out laughing. As it were, she only smiled. A slow, wide, understanding smile. She set her mug down, and grasped the one in Nina's tight hands. As a reflex, the girl let go confusedly.

Arika set that one down, too and instead took the slim and powerful fingers into her own.

"Aye, it's true that I do have eyes for someone." She smiled. "But I swear to ya, it's not the Navvy." Her smile was a cheshire grin.

Nina's eyebrows had shot up at the physical contact, but descended in confusion when the girl spoke of being besotted. Arika heaved a great put-upon sigh, giggled, and very quickly kissed the girl on the lips.

Nina blinked, not understanding what had just happened. Apparently, others were cleverer than her.

"HA!" Chie howled, "Twenty silver pieces go to me!"

The two girls turned and saw that the entire crew was staring back at them, intoxicated grins on their faces.

"Uh-" Nina began. Only to have the small band immediately strike up again and a hand grabbed Nina in celebration and forced her to dance, heavy hands slapping her on the back as she was swept away.

Arika laughed and took a long draught of ale.

"Captain!" "Captain, dance!"

"Shizuru! A dance, come on then!"

The Captain was thoroughly drunk, a rosy red hue on her cheeks. The Navigator faired a slight bit better, but she swept out into the ring anyways. The shanty shifted, and all of a sudden an addictive, fast-paced song started up. Synchronized clapping and stomping accompanied.

The Captain's dark hair whirled and dipped with her as she danced intricate patterns around her honey-haired lover. They both laughed gaily, breath coming in quick gasps. The skirt Shizuru wore spun around her legs, every so often revealing a creamy thigh or calf through the slit in the side. Their teeth were on full display as they chanted along or exchanged a word, laughing through it all.

Arika had never seen the Captain so relaxed before; the Navvy either. They kept a careful composure in everything they did; one stoic, and one calm. They were both columns of strength, the two pillars that held the entire ship afloat. But dancing and laughing, Shizuru twirling around and giggling like a girl with Natsuki grinning and flushed as a young groom, they were so human. The two stepped in time and played in rehearsed steps.

It was like being transported to the past, when they might not have been the Captain or the Navigator. But simple crewmembers; meeting and dancing for the first time. Their secretive smiles and sure hands wiped away that possibility, but they interacted with the refreshing affection of newlyweds.

The crew drank and danced all night, and she found herself being helped to the barracks by Nina. Her head spinning with drink and affection for her family.

When the sun rose, Arika met it with a jumbled groan. She sat up in her bed, feeling a little more than groggy. She held her head and rubbed at a gently pounding temple. Arika spared a small laugh. Dancing all night to raucous music after a good score and getting drunk; she was most definitely a pirate now.

She twisted around to notice the snoring and slumbering around her. It was the vast majority of the crew. Making her way through the chamber room and above deck proved her theory; hardly a soul was awake. She fetched some fresh water and refreshed herself in the barely risen sun. Maybe when Nina woke up they could watch it rise together.

Arika suddenly remembered that she had a very special someone to pay a visit to, as per their request. Just the thought of the beautiful Navigator made Arika smooth her hands over her rumpled shirt and comb out her hair slightly.

The girl made loping steps toward the middle of deck. The raised portion of the ship that held the wheel and navigation table made up the Captain's quarters' roof. She took a deep breath and raised a hand to knock lightly.

And she got no answer.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Arika waited patiently, rocking on her toes nervously. The Captain had seemed rather drunk last night. Perhaps she was still asleep?

Just once more.

_Knock, knock, knock. _

"Come in."

The voice was heard so softly Arika might have imagined it. But it was no doubt the soothing caress of a voice that belonged to the Navigator. Arika took another deep, quick breath, and pushed down on the ornate handle. The door easily fell open when pushed, and she stepped inside.

Arika had never been in the Captain's quarters and was surprised by what she found. Chie had told her that the Captain was a very wealthy woman. So it would make sense that her personal quarters be outfitted in exotic animal furs with shining weapons on the wall. Or even whole jewels sitting atop lavish pieces of furniture. But none of those things were found.

What Arika did find, was that two of the four walls of the room were covered from ceiling to floor, in books. Thick, bound, expensive-looking, books tucked into very average shelves. There was a modest desk, a dresser, and a table that was sat upon by an oil lamp and a hand mirror.

The third side of the room was backed into by a large bed. A bed that currently held the sleeping, wrapped and sheeted form of Captain Natsuki Kruger. The Captain was lying almost diagonally across the large, white bed on her stomach. She had a sheet wrapped tightly around her waist and legs like she had kicked them down to her feet and then rolled around on the bed in her sleep. She was also hugging a pillow. The Captain was also very, very naked.

Arika was sure than were any one of the other crew members here, they would beat her out of sheer jealously for getting to see so much of the Captain exposed. Her skin was truly flawless, and the sheet wrapped so tightly around her only made it painfully clear how slim and feminine her figure was.

Two doors were on one side of the room that most likely led to the Captain's personal washroom. And it was this doorway that the Navigator made her entrance from.

She wore a dangerously short red robe of the finest silk Arika had ever seen. It shimmered and twisted, and made her eyes look like they were alight with flame. The skin of her face, neck and chest was wet, like she had just finished washing. A daring bead of water rolled down the luscious throat, between beautifully crafted collarbones and disappeared into the forbidden depths of the robe. Those places were only for the eyes of the Captain. Anyone else would surely lose their eyes for being too bold.

Arika snapped her eyes to meet the amused rubies looking at her and she tried to keep herself from panting. She felt the sudden urge to apologize, but the smile twisting the Navvy's mouth made her relax.

"Good morning, my young dear." The woman crooned, "Did you sleep well?"

Arika felt her heart get lighter. The Navigator was a deadly sort of beautiful, but once you ignored that, she was just a woman. She could practically hear Chie in her mind, though. Telling her that Shizuru was not a kind woman. That all she cared for was currently asleep in the bed behind her.

But the girl shrugged this off. As long as she did no wrong by the Captain, she did no wrong by the Navvy.

"I did." She answered happily.

Shizuru smiled a bit teasingly. "As would I if my sweethear had confessed her feelings to me."

Arika's mouth slacked, and Shizuru laughed, eyes twinkling.

The girl felt a grin spread across her face.

"Well, Nina didn't so much say anything, she just sort of threw a wee bit of a fit."

The golden eyebrows rose in curiosity. A delicate hand rested on her face and the other arm supported.

"Oh?"

Arika nodded, opening her mouth to elaborate when she focused on the sheet-clad Captain and closed her mouth quickly. Shizuru turned to follow her sight and laughed lightly.

"Don't worry, dear. Natsuki still has to be woken when the ship finds herself in a thunderstorm. If you manage to wake her, I'd even commend you."

Arika laughed, and Shizuru waited for the girl to continue her narrative.

"Nina didn't so much say she loved me or any such thing." Her hands found each other and started to wring. "She was just a bit jealous, that's all." The big, blue eyes glanced up to find a slightly confused expression on Shizuru's face.

"Jealous of what?"

"Well," Arika started. "If you'll excuse me, ma'am, she was jealous of you, to put it rightly."

"Ah." The older woman had sat up in thoughtful focus and tapped her finger to her lips. "I see."

Arika waited.

"Then I suppose you would like a dress to, hm, woo her affections your way? Out into the light, I suppose."

The girl nodded slightly bashfully.

"I see." The Navigator murmured lightly. She clapped her hands. "Well then, what sort of colors does Nina like? If I could give you advice, I would say to wear blue, my dear."

Arika smiled brilliantly and nodded her agreement. The Navvy smiled and swept to the dresser. She removed two dresses from it and held them up to Arika.

"What do you think?"

"They're beautiful!"

And they were. For dresses that focused more on function and less on looks, they were brilliantly crafted. Not overly frilly, but still pretty. With a soft-looking texture that would withstand wear and tear, they were very nice. Arika didn't want to think about the price affixed to each of them.

"I'm glad you think so." Shizuru said warmly. "Natsuki has been searching for something for quite some time so we'll sail in for a long while. When we get to port, we'll take them to a tailor so they can do you justice, my dear." She winked a crimson eye at Arika, and her jaw dropped.

"Them?" She cried. "Both of them?!"

Shizuru laughed.

"Of course."

"Really?" Arika shrilled.

"Yes!" Shizuru pealed, amused at the girl's excitement.

"Oh, thank you!" She cried loudly. Her happiness was such that she completely let go of herself and flew towards the woman. She engulfed Shizuru in a hug and practically jumped in excitement. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Shizuru!"

The Navigator bent backwards to lay the dresses over the desk and wrapped her arms around the incredibly grateful girl. She chuckled deeply, her heart warming slightly at the adorable creature in her arms.

"It's no problem."

"Zuru?"

The standing women separated slightly from their embrace and glanced at the bed. In any other context, Arika would have laughed. But it was this context, and this context had Arika, lowest member of the crew, embracing a semi-nude Navigator in the Captain's quarters. With an unhappy and totally-nude Captain three feet away, in bed.

"Ara, ara." Shizuru smiled, delighted her lover was awake, while totally ignoring the all of a sudden tense atmosphere. "Good morning, my Captain of the slumber. Are you thirsty, Suki?"

The Captain's eyes focused to a whip-sharp stare, almost demanding that Arika explain what the hell she's doing in her quarters at the same time that her face and ears went bright red at her lover's welcome. Her arms pressed the sheets around as much of her as possible, trying to hide her bare skin from the foreigner.

Shizuru turned back to Arika and kissed her sweetly on the cheek. Softly, she spoke.

"Leave as quickly and quietly as you can or Natsuki will take your head off."

The elegant woman swept away from the stilled girl and brought the still bed-bound Captain a goblet of water. Arika didn't wait to see what happened next. As soon as the Captain's green eyes left hers, she backed slowly towards the door. Once she hit it, she gripped the handle and gently pressed down.

The viridian eyes stayed on Shizuru, who had leaned over to sit on the bed. The last Arika saw was the Navvy's creamy neck bending downward, and Natsuki's soft smile as she arched upwards.

"Phew."

Arika leaned against the now closed door to the Captain's quarters.

_Would the Captain really take my head for hugging Shizuru?_

"What the blood hell do you think you're doing?"

Arika jumped at the silken growl.

It was the redheaded quartermaster, Nao. The woman had her hands on her sword and pistol-belted hips and a suspicious scowl firmly affixed to her face.

"I was seeing the Navvy." The girl replied, wary of angering Nao for something she had no idea she'd already done.

"Right." The brusque woman replied, crossing her arms. "What for?"

"She called me to the Captain's quarters." Arika answered hesitantly.

"Is that so?" The intense lime eyes reminded Arika not of the Captain's dangerous gaze, but of a wild dog's, just waiting for a break in defenses to strike. Arika swallowed shallowly. This wasn't exactly the way she pictured herself going out.

"Oi, lay off the lass, would ye, Quarter?"

Nao turned at the sound of Chie's voice. The tall and handsome woman swaggered up to the pair, still yawning and buttoning her shirt. Nao snorted at the sight of her.

"You make shit look good, Rigger."

Chie ran a hand through her short hair freely. She stretched, shaking her limbs out relaxedly.

"Aye, that may be. But I'll tell you that there's nothing quite like sleepin good and long after a long night of drinkin and plunderin." She winked at Nao, who only laughed some more.

"Uh, we didn't plunder any ships last night? That was morning." Arika asked confusedly.

Nao and Chie stared at the girl with identical looks of incredulousness. They glanced at the other.

"I'm guessing Nina didn't-" Chie started.

"Nay."

"Did you want to explain to the lass-"

"Nay." Nao finished, and walked off.

Chie sighed and smiled lightly. She roused herself and glanced back at Arika.

"Well, come along then, the day's late already." Her eyes focused even further. "And get away from that door before the Navvy comes out if you feel like keeping your head. That's not a joke. We lost a cannon woman that way."

_I guess she would._

It was another week before the Crimson Lady and her crew sailed into Cape Bevenides. Once they weighed anchor, the crew just about threw themselves over the side to touch dry land. Before the Captain would release them, she gathered them for a small meeting before hand.

"You all know the rules," Her voice was deep and stern. "And if you find anything about it, you know what to do." There were several murmurs and the Captain nodded her dark head.

"Aye. Then begone with ye lot." And a hand wave later, they were gone.

"Nina," Arika asked sometime later, walking through crowded markets with her comrade. "What are the rules?" The pirate had pulled Arika's elbow the minute her foot touched land and told her to go nowhere Nina wasn't. Apparently, Cape Bevenides was a pirate haven, and while there was such thing as honor among thieves, they were still thieves.

"The Captain's rules, you mean?" Nina asked, her eyes warily watching Arika move away from her, and copying the girl step-for-step. Arika laughed smallishly at her and purposefully moved closer.

"Yep!" She said, smiling. In a moment of pure bravery, she reached out and twined her hand with Nina's. The girl jumped but held her hand like she was a lifeline. The pale girl's ears pinked and she desperately tried to smother the smile threatening to light her face.

Arika simply smiled at the adorable reaction.

"W-Well, the C-Captain," Nina started, her traction lost. She stopped to swallow and then restarted, calmer than before. "Cap'n's got a few rules that comes with bein on land and a crew of the Crimson Lady both together." Her dark brows grew together seriously, and her eyes slid to a figure to the right, tugging Arika closer to her.

"First one is no stealin of any kind. Be it food, cloth, jewelry, woman, drink or any other fanciful thing. If it ain't yours, you ain't earned it yet."

Arika nodded, fascinated.

"Second one is that you fight in any fight that shows itself to ya. The Crimson Lady's crew is the deadliest crew alive. We don't tarnish that reputation by any means."

Nina followed Arika to a stall with warm rolls and a few trinkets to let the girl buy them both bread.

"And lastly, is that the Crimson Lady takes care of her own. Whether at sea, or on land, we'll be fightin to the death for one another. No matter what."

Arika nodded, pondering. They all seemed very much like the Captain. They almost didn't need to be said, and she supposed that was why Natsuki didn't restate them when they were aboard. Those three rules were just the way the Crimson Lady was run. Anything else was dishonorable.

The two girls went from stall to stall, one more fascinated with the culture than the other. Arika delighted in every little ware that she came across, and spoke to so many people, Nina nearly fainted with the stress of it all.

At one such small shop, Arika asked another question.

"So what'd the Cap'n mean by that last bit? The finding part?"

Nina put down a handsomely stitched kerchief to give Arika her undivided attention.

"The Captain's been lookin for some stone or another for a long time. Every port we go to she searches every corner. Any effort has been for naught, but she still looks."

"What?" Arika asked, confused. "What's so special about this stone?"

Nina studied their clasped hands with great interest.

"Well, nearly no one knows this but the Quartermaster and myself, but I heard Natsuki tell Nao that she was fixin to give it to the Navvy." Nina's nose flushed prettily. "As an engagement present of sorts."

Arika 'ohh'd excitedly.

"Well let's help then!" She crowed happily. Nina's amber eyes snapped up to meet hers, and the girl frowned a little confusedly.

"I don't think we can, Arika."

"Why not?" She replied, unperturbed.

"The Cap'n has been lookin for goin on 6 years now, and she's searched every port, asked every trader, bribed every official from here to her majesty's court and found not a trace. It's rumoring that it's the only stone of it's kind." She said quietly, afraid of hurting Arika's happiness.

The blue eyes were narrowed in thoughtful concentration.

"Hm." She pondered. "I know!" She turned her attention to the handful of pretty little rocks in a sand box on a table in the ware's store. "What's it look like?"

Nina couldn't help but smile weakly at her optimism.

"The Captain says it's beautiful. By the light of day, it's a pitch lighter than an emerald, and more clear than one. But when you hold it to a light when the sun goes down, it glows like a ruby set on fire." Nina shook her head, allowing Arika to pull her closer to the table as the girl picked up the lamp there and waved it over the sand.

"I can't even believe that it might be real." The serious girl frowned lightly, concentrating. "Nao swears she's seen it too, though. Says it was beautiful. Fact, it was Nao who lost the damned thing. Gave it to a jeweler to turn it to a ring for the Navvy, and never got it back." Nina grimaced lightly. "That was a rather painful death, that one." She shrugged. "Still, she says it was beautiful. 'Bout the size of a fingernail, to boot."

"Like this!?" Arika exclaimed.

Nina laughed, looking at the small black rock in the girl's hands, squinting lightly through the darkening dusk.

"Don't jest about that, girlie. Captain doesn't lose control about anything except what has to do with the Navvy."

Arika pouted lightly, tugging on Nina's hand. The girl swallowed at the intimate reminder.

"Just look at it!"

Nina sighed and nodded, taking the rock from her. Only, it wasn't just a rock. It was already cut and polished and fancy. She shifted her feet and let the torchlight hit it. Her eyes widened fractionally before she cleared her face. Nina frowned and looked to the shop keeper.

"Oi," Her voice returned to the rough and deep tongue she usually used; it was almost foreign to Arika's ears. "How much for the pretty rocks?"

The old woman called back to her.

"A pence!"

Nina scoffed.

"Hardly. A sixth."

The keeper scowled.

"Two."

Nina nodded, fished in her purse and withdrew the coin. She grasped Arika's hand and led her out of the shop, slapping the money on the counter. Without a word, they made their way back to the ship, Nina's grip tight on the smaller hand.

"Nina," Arika began hesitantly. "Did I do something wrong?"

Nina glanced back at her, the determined and focused look in her eyes fading away to give a soft expression.

"No, Arika," Nina's eyes burned fierce and bright. "I think you did just about everything right."

Arika smiled.

Three months later, Arika and the rest of the Crimson Lady found themselves once again weighing anchor and standing on solid land, sand beneath their boots. Arika wore her favorite dress and held Nina's hand securely, her eyes filling with happy tears.

Though the dress she wore was beautiful, it was tatters compared to the woman it used to belong to. Shizuru was draped in a beautiful red dress, her hair clean and honey-colored in the light wind. She was standing hand-in-hand with Natsuki, who was adorned in the finest white shirt to ever be made, handsomely tucked into tight black pants. Their hands were clasped, an enormous emerald ring on a hand, in front of a holy man reading from a book.

Arika felt a tear escape her at the naked joy in their usually so stoic Captain's eyes. The man finished reading and made a small gesture. He was jerked backwards and away as Nao led the man to a different location, gun still firmly against his back.

But the two being wed couldn't be bothered to spare a glance away from the other. And for the first time that Arika had ever seen, she got to experience the sight of the Captain taking the Navvy into her arms, and seal their lips together in a kiss so gentle it looked like it was all the things that love should be.

Shizuru relaxed and tangled her slim hands into the ebony hair, the emerald ring glinting in the sun. The crew erupted into loud, raucous cheers as the kiss grew deeper and the two newly-wed pirates paid them no mind.

Their only separation came when their smiles became too large to keep their lips connected. Shizuru pressed herself into the Captain, who wrapped her arms around her Navigator.

She smiled at her crew.

"All aboard."

Arika laughed happily. It was time to sail into the sunset.

**I'm not as happy with this as I had hoped to be, but school is kicking my ass. Please give me your story suggestions and let me know what you think!**

**With Love,**

**Konstantine**


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